Providence Public Library | 150 Empire St., Providence
Building owner and tenant: Providence Public Library
Architect: designLAB architects
Developer/General contractor: Bond Bros. Inc.
Cost: $27 million
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BETTER VIEW: The work done here features the extended windows and reduced spandrels between the windows to enable more light, and view of the interior from the street. Necessary repairs to the facade, as well as a first-ever cleaning, were also made./ COURTESY PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY[/caption]
Use: The Providence Public Library completed the bulk of its renovation project on May 1, and the 67-year-old wing facing Empire Street is nearly ready for use by the public. In fact, the library’s targeted reopening date was scheduled for March 30, but the coronavirus pandemic changed that, delaying the building’s opening for now. The $27 million project, the largest renovation of a library in Rhode Island history, took about 18 months to complete, and has been paid for in part by state funding, grants and donations. The project, labeled the “THINK AGAIN Building Transformation,” involved significant renovation of the 83,000-square-foot wing that was built in 1953, and parts of the original 1900 building. DesignLAB’s architectural plan called for Bond Bros. Inc., the contractor, to consolidate 3,000 square feet of administrative office space; renovate and re-utilize two of the six floors in the library’s book stack building for improved special-collections storage; refurbish the library’s 255-seat auditorium; and construct a 3,000-square-foot education lab and workshop space for hands-on learning and creating. The project also addressed the installation of required safety systems upgrades.
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EQUIPPED: The library’s 255-seat auditorium on the third level is now completely compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, including its stage. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including new lighting, sound and screen. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY[/caption]
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BEFORE: The library’s 255-seat auditorium. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY[/caption]
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BUILDING LINK: This gallery walk area was previously not open to the public and was part of the closed Special Collections suite. The space is part of the original 1900 building that had been closed for decades. This refurbished space links the old building to the new exhibition gallery on the third floor. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY[/caption]
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BEFORE: The library gallery walk. / COURTESY PROVIDENCE PUBLIC LIBRARY[/caption]
